The western region has been mired in conflict since 2003 when ethnic minority insurgents rebelled against Bashir's Arab-dominated government.
President Omar al-Bashir - wanted for war crimes over the conflict - has insisted voting go ahead on whether to unite Darfur's five states into a single region or maintain the status quo.
A united Darfur with greater autonomy has long been a demand of ethnic minority insurgents battling the Sudanese government since 2003, but they have boycotted the referendum, saying it is unfair.
The US has also voiced concerns, warning "if held under current rules and conditions, a referendum on Darfur cannot be considered a credible expression of the will of the people".
Voting got under way at 9am, the first of three days of voting.
A slow trickle of people in North Darfur state capital El Fasher turned out to cast their ballots in polling stations guarded by armed police and decorated with posters urging a strong showing.
The state's governor Abduwahid Yousif voted early in an area mostly inhabited by government employees, where about 100 women were queuing to cast their ballots.
At another station in a camp for the displaced, resident Fathiya Adam Hassan had just voted.
"I voted for a single region, I want one region to solve Darfur's problems," the 38-year-old said.
A spokesman for the West Darfur government said voting had started with minor hiccups.
Darfur was a single region until 1994 when the government split it into three states, adding another two in 2012, claiming it would make local government more efficient.
The western region has been mired in conflict since 2003 when ethnic minority insurgents rebelled against Bashir's Arab-dominated government.
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